REVIEW: ‘Crazy’ night as Drake meets Sheffield

Jon Ball

He may have been 40 minutes late on stage, but Drake was well worth the wait when the man did finally meet Sheffield.

The Canadian rap superstar brought his Boy Meets World Tour to Sheffield Arena – and nearly took the roof off.

The roar which greeted his arrival set the scene for a night to remember, and so it proved.

Drake had the audience in the palm of his hand from the opening track – and kept them there with seemingly heartfelt praise for the “crazy” Sheffield crowd throughout the show.

“It’s Friday night, are you ready to party Sheffield?” he implored early into a concert which saw him reference the city in almost every track.

“The UK is my second home and i wouldn’t want to be anywhere but Sheffield tonight.”

Drake clearly knows how to work an audience.

“I’ve done a lot of shows,” he told the adoring crowd. “It feels like I’ve been everywhere in the UK, but Sheffield is going the hardest tonight. “

Solo artists can sometimes get lost on vast arena stages, but such was Drake’s energy as he bounced, jumped and danced across the stage it was never a problem.

He started with simple black and white lighting, ramping it up as he went through the show, with a stunning array of balloon lights above the audience rising and falling throughout, creating some beautiful displays, particularly when they turned purple during Hotline Bling.

Drake performing at Sheffield Arena.

However, the focus was always on the main man – his keyboard player, DJ and drummer were barely visible among the dry ice at the back.

And with songs such as HYFR, Fake Love, Rihanna’s Work and worldwide number one smash One Dance, there really was no need for anything else.